Braiding-machine carrier.



Uhl STAT tllt lmt ll ELISI-IA H. SMALL, 0F FALL RIVER, MASSACHUSETTS, ASSIGNOR TO SMALL BROTHERS, A FIRM COMPOSED OF ELISHA H. SMALL AND REUBEN C. SMALL, OF FALL RIVER,

MASSACHUSETTS.

BRAIDING-MACHINE CARRIER.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Patented Apr. 18, 1916.

Application filed November 2, 1914. Serial No. 869,904.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, ELIsrm H. SMALL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Fall River, in the county of Bristol and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and useful. Braiding-Machine Carrier, of which the following is a specification.

This invention has reference to braiding machine carriers, and its object is to provide an efficient means of very simple construction applicable to existing carriers for preventing over rotation of the yarn spool of such carrier under abnormal conditions.

The present invention is not limited to any special type of braiding machine carrier although it is particularly applicable to braiding machines wherein the carrier is supplied with an upright spindle for receiving the yarn spool or bobbin carrying the yarn used in the machine, and in conjunction with the spindle there is provided a standard carrying a gravity pawl slidable along the standard and projecting toward the spindle to operatively engage ratchet teeth formed on the corresponding end or head of the spool or bobbin. The pawl is under the control of a tension weight car- .ried by the strand of yarn and movable thereby to lift the pawl out of engagement with a ratchet tooth of the spool to thereby permit rotation of the latter under the pull. of the yarn. Under normal conditions the tension weight maintains a practically constant tension of the yarn, so that there is no slack therein and as the yarn is used up the weight is raised until it engages and lifts the pawl out of the path of the ratchet teeth, whereupon the yarn spool is free to turn and pay off more yarn, thus relieving the superior tension, whereupon the tension weight drops and the pawl follows dropping into the path of the next succeeding tooth of the ratchet. So long as normal conditions prevail the feeding of the yarn continues evenly. If under some conditions there be a superior pull upon the yarn causing the tension weight to rise so rapidly as to impart an excessive blow to the pawlv in a manner to impel it upwardly to a greater distance than usual, the lift of the pawl is often high enough topermit the sudden pull upon the spool to rotate the latter a greater distance than the distance between two adjacent ratchet teeth, so that a greater amount of yarn than usual is drawn from the spool and the yarn is no longer under the control of the tension weight, wherefore either a defect is produced in the braid or the machine is brought to astop by the action of the stop motion with which the machine may be equipped.

In accordance with the present invention there is provided a plate or strip of a length to reach from the spool carrying spindle to the standard carrying the pawl, and this plate at one end is provided with a. stem adapted to an axial socket in the upper end of the spindle, while the other end of the plate is shaped to embrace the standard. By properly proportioning the depth of an axial socket formed in the upper end of the spindle to receive the stem, or by other arrangements, the plate is held at a height above the ratchet head of the spool to interpose in the path of the pawl an obstacle preventing the rise of the pawl beyond a distance suflicient to lift it out of the path of the ratchet teeth, but not sufficient to retard the return motion of the pawl long enough to permit the escape of more than one tooth at a time. The plate or strip is so arranged as to be engaged by the pawl to one side of the support of the plate so that a blow of the pawl will tend to cramp the stem in the socket in the spindle, thereby effectively locking the plate against lifting movements which would otherwise occur under the impact of the pawl. Moreover, the blow delivered by the pawl upon the plate tends to react upon the pawl to impel it toward the spool, so that if the pawl receives an impulse which would otherwise tend to lift it excessively, it is not only stopped in its upward course, but its return movement is accelerated by the reaction of the plate upon the pawl. Moreover, the plate is applied to and removed from the carrier with the greatest facility, no fastening devices of any kind being needed and the plate is retained in its place merely by gravity, but effectively resists any displacing forces due to the action of the pawl upon the plate.

The invention will be best understood formed with a transverse passage 11.

from a consideration of the following detailed description, taken in connection with the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification with the further understanding that while the drawings show a practical form of the invention, the latter is not confined to any strict conformity with the showing of the drawings, but may be changed and modified so long as such changes and modifications mark no material departure from the salient features of the invention.

In the drawings: Figure l is an elevation of a carrier showing the invention applied, and with the pawl seated in the path of a ratchet tooth. Fig. 2 is a view similar to Fig. 1 but showing some parts in longitudinal section and also showing the pawl lifted into contact with the stop plate. Fig. 3 is a perspective view of the stop plate of the present invention as seen from the stem side thereof.

Referringto the drawings there is shown a carrier 1 provided with a spindle 2 upon which is removably mounted a bobbin or spool 3 designed to carry yarn 4:. To one side of the spindle 2 there is erected on the carrier a standard 5 on which is mounted a weight 6 slidable lengthwise of the standard and ordinarily termed the bottom or tension weight. There is also mounted on the stand-v ard and slidable lengthwise thereof another weight 7 ordinarily termed the top weight. Projectinglaterally from the upper end of the top weight is a pawl 8 usually in one piece with the weight 7. That end of the spool 3 which may be termed the upper head is formed with a circular series of one-way ratchet teeth 9 and the pawl 8 and teeth 9 are so related that the pawl will drop by gravity between two adjacent teeth and thereby prevent rotative movement of the spool. The upper end of the standard 5 is provided with a passage 10 and aboutmidway of the height of the standard it is These two passages 10 and 11 form yarn guides for a strand 12 of yarn coming from the spool 3 and threaded through the passage 11, thence under the weight 6 to form a loop supporting the weight, and thence upward along the standard 5 andthrough the passage 10 to the gatherer of the braiding machine, which gatherer is not shown in the drawings.

So far the structure is that of a known form of braiding machine carrier.

The upper end of the spindle 2 is axially bored'to form an axial socket 13. Fitted to this socket is a stem 14 carrying one end of an elongated and relatively narrow plate or strip 15. The fit of the stem 14 in the socket 13 is a relatively easy fit, so that the stem may be inserted in the socket or removed therefrom with great ease. The

stem 14 extends through and is made fast to the plate 15 near one end thereof, while the other end of this plate is widened and bifurcated to form a longitudinally disposed entering slot 16 and spaced legs 17. The length of the plate 15 is such that when the stem 14: is seated in the socket 13 the legs 17 straddle the standard 5, but the plate is in the path of the pawl S, or of the weight 7, as the case may be, but the plate 15 does not interfere with the yarn strand 12. Moreover, the plate 15 is well above the ratchet head of the spool 3, and hence offers no impediment whatever to the rotation of the spool.

In the ordinary operation of the structure the pawl 8 is lifted from time to time by the pull of the yarn strand 12 exerted through the weight 6 upon the weight 7, and as soon as this lifting movement is sufiicient to raise the pawl above the ratchet tooth it engages, the continued pull of the yarn imparts a rotative movement to the spool and at once the tension of the yarn is relieved by the slack which the rotation of the spool tends to form in the yarn strand 12, leaving the spool. The slack is at once taken up by the fall of the weights 6 and 7 and is continued by the further fall of the weight (i after the pawlS drops between two of the ratchet teeth. The pawl prevents further rotation of the spool beyond that permitted by the distance between two adjacent ratchet teeth. So long as such conditions prevail a regular step by step rotation of the spool occurs, but if for any reason there is a sufficiently sudden and strong pull on the yarn the tension weight 6 rises more rapidly than usual and delivers a correspondingly strong blow upon the weight 7 and in the absence of the stop member or plate 15 the impact of the tension weight 6 upon the pawl weight 7 would cause an excessive upward movement of the pawl, which under some circumstances is suflicient to permit the sudden pull of the yarn upon the spool to rotate the latter a greater distance than the distance between two adjacent ratchet teeth, and this extra rotation of the spool might include the space occupied by three or more ratchet teeth. Under some circumstances the pawl weight is lifted so violently as to be thrown completely off the standard. However, with the stop plate 15 in the path of the pawl and so related thereto that the pawl will strike the plate just after rising out of the path of the ratchet teeth, the over rotation of the spool and all danger of the escape of the pawl from the standard are avoided.

The stop plate is supported wholly by the spindle while the point of impact of the pawl with the plate is radially to one side of the spindle, wherefore any blow delivered to the plate by the pawl tends to cramp the stem 14 in the socket 13 and the plate becomes thereby firmly anchored against any lifting movement due to the impact of the pawl. Because of this cramping tendency no fastening devices whatever are needed to hold the plate in its proper position. The end of the stop plate remote from the supporting stem is free and also straddles the standard so that the plate is effectively held against any sidewise movement about the longitudinal axis of the stem 14; The plate is consequently always maintained in the path of the pawl. Still the stop plate is most readily removed when desired by simply liftingthe plate by grasping it close to the stem 14L and the plate is as easily replaced in position after an empty bobbin has been removed and a full bobbin applied to the spindle. The stop plate is held in position solely by gravity and is in co -active relation to the standard to keep the plate from rotation and so maintain it always in the path of the pawl. Of course, other means may be provided for preventing the rotative movement. but it is preferred to make the plate with a bifurcated or slotted free end to embrace the standard, thus bringing a portion of the plate well removed from its support in the path of the pawl 8 and if need be in the path of the upper weight 7 for either of these structures engages the plate at a suflicient distance from its support to cause the cramping of the latter in the socket provided for it in the upper end of the spool spindle.

The drawings, description and claims herein are limited to a particular type of stop member since the broader aspects of the invention are set forth and claimed in another application Serial No. 869,902 filed by me on even date herewith and directed to a carrier for braiding machines, for which reason no broad claims to the invention are made herein.

What is claimed is 1. In a carrier for braiding machines provided with a yarn spool spindle and a pawl and ratchet controlling means for the spool, means for limiting the extent of release movement of the pawl comprising an elongated member supported solely by the spindle and extending radially therefrom toward and into overriding relation to the pawl and spaced from said pawl a distance to prevent movement of the pawl away from the ratchet teeth to an extent to release more than one tooth at a time under the pull of the yarn.

2. In a carrier for braiding machines provided with a yarn spool spindle and apawl and ratchet controlling means for the spool, means for limiting the release movement of the pawl comprising an elongated member with a support at one end at an angle thereto, said support being adapted to be carried by the spindle and of a length to limit the clearance of the pawl on its release movement to a distance preventing the passage of more than one ratchet tooth at a time under the pull of the yarn, and said elongated member being provided with means for preventing lateral movement with respect to the path of movement of the pawl.

3. In a carrier for braiding machines provided with a yarn spool spindle, a pawl and ratchet controlling means for the yarn spool, and a standard supporting the pawl, a limiting means for the pawl comprising an elongatedplate having a supporting stem at one end adapted to the spindle and at the other end bifurcated to straddle the standard.

-'l- A carrier for braiding machines having an upright spindle with a socket at the upper end, an upright standard to one side of the spindle, a yarn spool adapted to the spindle and having one end provided with a circular series of ratchet teeth, a pawl mounted on the standard to slide thereon and in operative relation to the ratchet teeth, and limiting means for the movement of the pawl away from the ratchet teeth comprising an elongated plate with one end bifurcated to straddle the standard and the other end provided with a stem perpendicular to the plate and adapted to the socket in the upper end of the spindle.

5. In a carrier for braiding machines provided with a yarn spool spindle, a slidable pawl and a yarn spool adapted to the spindle and having one head formed with ratchet teeth for engagement by the pawl, stop member for limiting movements of the pawl comprising an elongated plate with a stem substantially perpendicular thereto and adapted to be carried by the yarn spool spindle, said plate projecting from the stem into overriding relation to the pawl, and said stop member having means for preventing its movement in a direction laterally to the movements of the pawl out of the path of said pawl.

6. In a carrier for braiding machines, an upright yarn spool spindle with an axial socket in its upper end, an upright standard to one side of the spindle, a pawl mounted on the standard for up and down movements thereon, a yarn spool having ratchet teeth at one end in coactive relation to the pawl when the spool is mounted on the spindle, and a stop member for preventing excessive rising movements of the pawl comprising an elongated plate with a stem at one end adapted to be freely inserted into and removed from the socket in the spindle, and the other end of the plate being bifurcated with the length of the plate sufiicient to have the bifurcated end straddle the standard when the stem is in the spindle, and the stem and the socket in the spindle being relatedto sustain the plate at a predetermined'distance above the ratchet end of the spoolwhenon the spindle.

7. In a carrier 'for braiding machines provided with ayarn spool spindle and a pawl and ratchet controlling means for the spool, a limiting stop for the pawl removably mounted on and carried solely by the yarn sp0ol spindleancl extending radially therefrom into close overriding relation to the pawl in the path of release movement ELISHA. H. SMALL.

\Vitnesses FRANK A. PEAsE, HUBERT LEGAR.

Copies 02 this patent may be obtained for five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner 0t Patents, Washington. D. G. 

